Nothing You Can Do
by MistySkies14
Summary: After facing the Red Death, Toothless takes Hiccup to a different tribe. Meanwhile, Berk thinks their savior is dead. How will they deal with their loss? And what happens when their favorite dragon rider returns five years later?
1. Chapter 1

The tawny-colored ships faded into the distance, their silhouette's facing towards the opposite side of a specific boy, who watched from afar. The boy was scrawny and fragile-appearing, yet his eyes showed anger and betrayal. How could his father do this? Abandon him and leave to find the nest, using his best friend, a dragon, to his advantage? If only he had managed to kill that dragon, none of this would have happened. But then... then he wouldn't have discovered the true side of dragons, and would have missed the chance to meet his best friend.

A girl stood silently beside the boy, eyes cast towards the vanishing ships. Those ships contained numerous vikings, nearly the whole tribe. They were determined and stubborn, set on destroying the dragon's nest.

The girl averted her icy-blue gaze to the boy, whom was named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Her blonde hair was tied back into a braid, which traveled down her shoulders and to the finish of her shoulder blades.

"It's a mess," she murmured at last. "You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend."

"Thank you, for summoning that up, Astrid," Hiccup retorted, sarcasm dripping from his words. She turned back towards him, eyes an azure fire.

"So, what're you gonna do about it?" she queried, egging him on. He sighed, tilting his head her way.

"Probably something stupid."

"Good, but you've already done that," she responded with ease.

Hiccup paused, hesitating for a slight moment, before he replied, "Then something crazy."

"That's more like it," Astrid mumbled, blue orbs traveling to the cliff, then back to Hiccup as he bolted off, making her race after him.

xxx

Hiccup raced towards the killing arena, prepared to release a couple of dragons. The plan was simple; get a dragon and save his tribe by flying over to the nest. What he didn't expect was for the abrupt voice of Fishlegs, a plump boy his age, to call out to him.

"If you're trying to get eaten, I'd suggest going with the Gronkle," he piped up, causing the auburn-haired boy to glance over his shoulder. There, gathered in a single file line, were some of the people that resented him the most.

"I love this plan!" a burly young boy with thick muscles, whom was called Snotlout, spoke to the Dragon Rider, before being pushed out of the way.

"You were wise to seek help from the world's deadliest weapon," Tuffnut, one of the trouble-making twins, murmured to Hiccup's face. "It's me."

He was ushered out of the way by Tuffnut's sibling, and twin, named Ruffnut. "You're crazy... I like that." Then she was hauled away from Hiccup, revealing Astrid.

"So, what is the plan?" she queried, causing Hiccup to give them a thrilled look.

"Alright, simple, we need to get enough dragons for each other to ride on, and to fly to the nest," he informed them, causing them to gape at the Heir of Berk.

"Woah woah woah... you want us to ride dragons?!" Snotlout exclaimed incredeously. He was only answered with a nod, before Hiccup began to release the Monstrous Nightmare, a brown-red dragon that had a nasty habit of setting itself on fire.

Snotlout was easily frightened, though, could never admit it. Watching with a fearful expression, he slowly grasped for a weapon, before Astrid whispered, "Uh-uh." He reluctantly released his hold on the dangerous object, before returning to his upright-standing position. Hiccup then reached for his hand, attempting to get his cousin to make contact with the large, scaly creature. "Wait! What're you-?" He was interrupted by a soft sigh from the Monstrous Nightmare, as it began vibrating with a purr. "Ha-ha!" he gasped out, placing his hand on the beast's muzzle.

xxx

The group had made it just in time, as Hiccup spotted his father and his mentor, Gobber, trying to distract the Nest's Queen. He could see that the vikings were in shock, as they noticed riders placed on the dragons' backs. A Deadly Nadder, with jade-green eyes and blue scales, flew towards a specific ship, as Hiccup leaped off from the creature's back. "Go help the others!" he ordered to Astrid, who nodded and flew upwards again.

He then began ripping off the Night Fury's muzzle. "Hey, it's alright, Bud. Almost there," he consoled Toothless, the ebony-black dragon, as he began trying to free his best friend from a restraint around his neck. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. "Alright, Toothless, I have an idea! I need you to send a plasma blast through this wood, okay? That way it'll come off," he revealed to the dragon, who tilted his head, before glancing towards the wooden barrier. Toothless could feel the familiar sensation of heat building up in his throat, before he suddenly turned his head as much as possible, cursing his lack of flexibility. Eventually he released the heat, which blasted through the restraint and released him.

"Alright! Good job, Bud!" Hiccup commented with a proud expression, while Toothless lifted him up into the air and out of the ship. Landing on the gravelly floor, the dragon nudged the boy towards his side, hoping to convince him to fly. Nodding his head, the Berkian climbed aboard the Night Fury, grinning with determination. "Alright, let's show them how it's done."

His dragon took off into the air, flapping his bat-like wings as he inched higher and higher into the air. "He's up!" he heard Astrid call. His grin broadening, the boy angled his dragon, turning him towards the Red Death.

"Alright, Toothless, we've gotta save the tribe!" he called to the ebony Night Fury's ears, who gave a nod. He began ordering Toothless, saying, "Now!" After he would utter that one word, the winged creature would shoot a plasma blast at the massive beast, just until he noticed the giant dragon had wings. "That thing has wings," he muttered. Noticing Snotlout on the Queen's head, he called to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, "Get Snotlout outta there!"

He couldn't help but watch as they aimed their dragon, an emerald-green Zippleback, towards the head of the Red Death. She glanced up as the bulky viking leaped from her head, landing on the Zippleback's shoulders. "I can't believe that worked!" they exclaimed, earning a light chuckle from Hiccup.

"Alright, Toothless, time to disappear!" he bellowed to his dragon, who gave a snort of acknowledgement. Then the nest's Queen finally spread her wings, which must have ached from lack of flight. At last, it managed to haul itself into the air. Trailing behind the Night Fury that compared to nearly nothing to the Red Death's size.

The vikings watched helplessly as Toothless and Hiccup climbed higher into the air, vanishing into the dark abyss of clouds. The ginormous controller of the dragons followed after, fading quickly. The creature was engulfed by lifeless-gray clouds, that surrounded it. Glancing around with confusion, the creature searched for any signs of life. Abruptly, there was the all-so-familiar screeching sound of a Night Fury, that blasted through the dragon's leathery wings.

From the grounded vikings' view it was nothing but sudden lights and shadows in the sky, as they wished so desperately they could do something to help. But they couldn't as they could only pray to their Gods for assistance.

Suddenly the Queen's wings were ripped with holes, as they only grew as she expanded them. Roaring in frustration and agony, she released a large lot of flames into the sky, causing Toothless' prosthetic to catch fire. "Time's out, let's see if this works," Hiccup muttered, as they turned and fled towards the ground. Toothless was growing tired with exhaustion, as he began pelting down. "Hold, Toothless." The beast gathered up its air, trying to lure the Night Fury into its mouth. "Now!" the Berkian shouted, as the much littler dragon swiveled around, turning to face the Red Death and shoot a plasma blast into her mouth.

The beast let out a shriek, nearly shattering the vikings' ears. The Red Death collided with the ground, creating a large explosion. Suddenly, Toothless and Hiccup were fighting for their lives. Then there was its tail, coming right at them. "No," Hiccup exclaimed, "No!" It wasn't supposed to end this way! Hiccup felt agony surge through him, as the tail collided with the two, causing Hiccup to be knocked off. He stared straight into Toothless' jade eyes, as he felt himself plummet into the explosion. There was nothing anybody could do.

xxx

At last, the flames cleared, and there was debris and dust everywhere. "Hiccup!" a certain Chief called out desperately. "Son!" The vikings searched for him, glancing around frantically. Was it true? Was their hero dead? "Dragon!" he called out helplessly, hoping for some sort of response. Then there was blood, lots of it. "No..." Stoick murmured, catching sight of the crimson-colored blood. Racing over to the scene, the Chief fell to his knees, gazing at the blood in front of him. He could hear the gasps coming from his tribe, as they watched the scene unfold before them.

Astrid made her way to the front of the crowd, pushing her fringe out of the way of her eyes. "N-no..." Tears filled her eyes, surprising even herself. She never cried, but this was an exception. Hiccup was gone. Their hero was dead.

xxx

The familiar Night Fury was panting as he flew across the sky, racing towards a Healer. Someone had to save his rider! Gasping for air, he spotted a shape in the distance, recognizing it was an island. Perhaps a tribe lived there! He knew he couldn't be seen, so he quickly rested his rider, Hiccup, on the ground, frowning as he realized just how wounded he really was. He then slunk off into the forest, waiting for someone to spot Hiccup.

"Hey!" a stranger called out, "We need a medic over here!" It was a male viking, one that actually was as beefy and bulky as the other ones. Soon, there was a crowd of people swarming around the boy, as they lifted him up and carried him into an unfamiliar building.

He knew Hiccup would survive; he was strong and determined, despite his figure.

xxx

It had been a couple of weeks since the incident, and Berk was still saddened by the loss of a saviour. Their hero was dead, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Astrid felt sorrowful; she could have saved him from the bullying. Plus, she knew that he had a crush on her, just never bothered to acknowledge it. The poor boy had sacrificed himself for his tribe, being a true human.

Snotlout felt terrible and guilty. He regretted ever setting hand on Hiccup. He was his main bully, despite being cousins. He would always call him names, like "Hiccup the Useless" or "Screw up!" He never knew it could actually have an effect on the poor guy. It turns out he was none of those things; he was simply different.

Fishlegs also felt guilty. He used to befriend Hiccup, but then they grew away from one another, distant and quiet towards each other. He could have rescued him from the bullying, but didn't.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut felt both, despite their trouble-maker reputation. They knew when to behave, and Hiccup's death had quite the affect on them. They also bullied Hiccup, just not as much as Snotlout did.

Gobber was quiet. He didn't talk as much anymore. He rarely told one of his famous stories, and only occasionally went outside of his blacksmith building. He distracted himself with his own work to block out all his emotions.

Stoick, Hiccup's father, felt the worst. He had failed as a father! Always ignoring his son and pressuring him into things. Now he paid the consequences. He busied himself with his Chief duties, keeping himself from entering his house all the time. He didn't want to be reminded of all the ways he had avoided his son.

So all in all the village was suffering. They just wished they could have done something to rescue their deceased Heir. But no, there was nothing anyone could do. Nothing at all.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You guys are awesome! (: Thanks for all the views and follows! Enjoy the story!

xxx

He had known from the start that his human would live. After facing the Red Death, his rider had severely burned his leg, causing the healers to have it amputated. Toothless was not happy about that. He had snapped at the medics until they finally managed to get him out of the room. Once he returned he realized what had happened, and that they did it to save him. He had nuzzled against one of the healers, Oda, as a way of a thank you. She had been shocked. Dragons being kind was not anything known about on this island. Although they didn't have as many dragon raids as Berk did, they still had them occasionally, which forced them to believe they were merciless beings.

Nonetheless, they let Toothless live, but kept him under control. The villagers' best warriors would escort him everywhere, and he currently resided in a dragon killing arena. They would feed him raw fish, but the Night Fury didn't mind. He enjoyed fish, it was better than human's food.

It had been two weeks since the incident, and so far Hiccup hadn't woken up. He was covered in bruises and cuts, along with his amputated shin. Toothless was worrying more than ever, but that same Healer, Oda, had always consoled him, whispering a line of comforting words. She'd always say, "He'll wake up, don't worry." He believed her, every word she said he believed. She always sounded so confident when speaking, so he figured she must be telling the truth.

So today was the day. Hiccup awoke to bright lights, although, there were none. He felt as though the darkness in the room was bright, due to his eyes being closed for so long. Gasping for air, he realized he didn't recognize where he was. This looked nothing like one of Gothi's patients' rooms, if that was where he was. So where was he? He felt pain on his face and arms, from the cuts lining his body. "W-wha?" he muttered, glancing down at his injuries. He tried to move, but found he couldn't. Literally, he couldn't feel one of his shins. Eyes widening, he abruptly sat up, making him hiss in pain.

What happened? All he could remember was Toothless being discovered, then Astrid egging him on. What else had happened after that? Oh, yeah! He had showed his bullies about dragons, and they agreed to help him. Then what? Oh no... did he go to the nest after that? Gasping as realization dawned on him, he felt shocked. Had he won? Or was he in Valhalla, dead? And where was Toothless?

"T-Toothless?" he murmured quietly, before shouting it, "Toothless!" His throat was dry and sore, causing his voice to crack in the middle of his dragon's name. Suddenly, a duo of medics entered the room, frantically asking questions and surrounding him. They would query to him simple things, like "Do you know who you are?" and "Where do you live?" He lied about both of them.

"I-I'm... Ryder...," he would reply, trailing off in thought. "I'm from... Hysteria." That was the first island that came to mind. They simply nodded, scribbling down notes.

"Alright, what do you remember?" one Healer inquired. He considered his options for a moment before he responded.

"No, I was riding my dragon and we must have fallen," he mumbled. They glanced at one another, before nodding.

"Wait- where is he? Where's Toothless?" he asked worriedly. One of the tribe's Healers calmed him down, gently pressing her hands on his shoulder.

"It's okay, he's safe. I'm Oda. It's nice to meet you, Ryder," she murmured softly, grinning with a fragile expression. She seemed delicate and shy, like him.

"Did you... did you hurt him?" he asked hesitantly. Oda shook her head swiftly.

"No, we've put him in the arena."

Nodding, he mumbled, "Okay... so where am I?" They exchanged looks, before they finally answered.

"Your on a little island where our tribe, the Lava Louts, reside," another Healer spoke up. "I'm Ayra."

Nodding his head as a greeting, Hiccup finally sat back, before shifting his legs. Why couldn't he feel his left shin? "Um... why can't I feel one of my legs?" Ayla and Oda took brief glances at one another, before averting their eyes back to the boy in front of them.

"Well..." Oda trailed off, frowning in thought. Without waiting for a response, the ex-Berkian slipped out of the sheets, gasping at the sight. On his shin, there was a metal prosthetic instead of the rest of his leg.

"W-wha... what happened?" he finally gasped out, continuing to stare at his missing limb. Before the duo could respond, he murmured, "I need to see Toothless." They nodded with comprehension, before Ayla raced off to fetch him.

"So, Ryder, how'd you manage to control a dragon?" Oda queried curiously.

He just shook his head, murmuring, "Not controlling- befriending." Nodding she seemed to be trying to understand, though, found it difficult. How did one befriend a dragon? Weren't they vicious, cruel beasts?

"Okay then. How'd you befriend a dragon? Let alone a Night Fury?" she tried once more.

Giving a shrug of his shoulders, he mumbled, "They're not what you think they are." She gave a tilt of her head, bewildered.

"But-" She was cut off by Toothless barging into the room. Licking his nose excitedly, the puppy-eyed Night Fury bounced forwards as a greeting. Giving a gummy smile, he leaned into Hiccup, who had placed a hand on his muzzle. Ayla reappeared into the room, watching with amazement alongside Oda.

Toothless crooned at his human, pressing forward into the boy's touch. "Hey, bud, I've missed you too," he greeted, watching with faint amusement as the ebony-hued dragon wrapped his tail along his paws, shifting towards the scrawny viking and nudging him.

Then he queried to the two viking girls, "Could you two give us a moment?" They nodded, respectfully exiting the bedroom. Sighing in relief, he muttered, "Man, Toothless, we're in so much trouble... wait a sec- where's the Berkians? Are they safe? Did we do it?" Toothless just purred, bobbing his head. It was almost as if the guy could understand him!

Sighing in relief, he figured that they must have done it, due to the fact the Red Death had crashed into the ground and caused an explosion. Surely it wouldn't have been able to survive that, right?

"Alright, Toothless, let's get outta here," he murmured, getting to his feet. Toothless sniffed at his prosthetic, curiosity pricking at him. "I know, bud, it'll be alright." Sighing, the teenager stood with slight discomfort, glancing over at his dragon. Just as he leaned forward to take his first step, he fell. "Ah!" he exclaimed, but Toothless had succeeded in catching him. "Thanks." They ambled towards the wooden door, Hiccup resting against his friend for support.

Eventually they stumbled towards the door, as he swung it open with a defined creak. They slipped out unnoticed, and just as they thought they had made it out of the building, they were caught. "Hey, where're you two going?" a boy Hiccup's age called. He strolled over, eyes laid on the Night Fury. "Woah... your dragon looks pretty cool, dude," he exclaimed with a chuckle. Noticing the stranger's signs of amusement, Hiccup laughed as well, trying to seem friendly. "Hey, I'm Skamell," he introduced, his grin broadening to his most sincere smile.

"I'm H-Ryder," he responded, nearly saying his real name. Skamell simply nodded. Hiccup wasn't sure whether or not he had noticed his slip-up, and if he did he chose not to acknowledge it. "So, this is Toothless," he added after a nudge from the dragon, grinning with amusement. Giving a tip of his head, the viking had a welcoming expression.

"Hey, Toothless! Nice dragon, by the way! Is he a Night Fury?" he queried. Slight surprise was evident on Hiccup's features, as he figured no one would recognize the dragon as his species. How did this stranger know about him?

"How'd you know?"

The Lava Lout member just gave a shrug. "Eh, I just sorta figured," he answered simply, his grin remaining just as strong as it was the first time it arrived. "So, how'd you lose your leg? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Hiccup glanced over at Toothless, before turning back to Skamell. "Oh, um... my house caught on fire, and it got burned..." He trailed off, nervously allowing the lie to roll off his tongue. He could tell Skamell didn't believe him, due to his anxious tone, but he didn't press about it.

"So, think you could teach me?" he queried curiously.

"What'dya mean?" Hiccup responded stupidly.

Skamell let out a laugh before he chose to elaborate. "Befriend a dragon, of course! I've always been interested in a Deadly Nadder!" he exclaimed excitedly. Chuckling at the thrilled expression on his new friend's face, he nodded.

"Sure! But first I've got to convince your tribe that dragons aren't bad," he replied. He just shook his head as a response.

"Pfft- don't waste your time! They don't believe a word I say," he muttered with disappointment. Frowning at the sight of the boy's confidence stooping low, he sighed.

"Well, I'm thinking of going on the run...," Hiccup murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. Glancing up, the boy quirked an eyebrow.

"Really? As in running away?" he asked. His only answer was a nod. "Y'know, I've always wanted to do that. My parents were killed by a raid from another tribe, and my adoptive parents pretty much ignore me." Hiccup let out yet another sigh, considering his options.

"Alright, well, let's say we run off. Know any good places we could go to?" the Dragon Rider spoke. His question was earned with a thoughtful expression, as he began pondering over rumors he had heard.

"Yes, actually, I do! There's a small, abandoned island nearby here. It's infested with dragons, so no one goes near it!" Skamell revealed proudly. Beaming at his new information, Hiccup glanced back over at Toothless, who was watching the two intently.

Turning back to Skamell, he spoke, "Sounds great! How about we meet up at night at... at the front door of this building!" The Lava Lout member nodded giddily, smiling furiously. "Alright, then I'll see you until then, okay?" Another nod, and Hiccup and Toothless retreated back to their Healer's room.

"Where were you?!" Oda exclaimed worriedly, ushering the two back into thee room. "Ayla was searching for you guys all over the building!" Knewing he couldn't give any information away, he just bowed his head.

"I was only exploring!" he defended lamely.

Oda only rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, explore with your eyes... out the window!" she retorted, sending the two a glare. And then she left, locking the door in the process. Sighing in frustration, he pondered over a plan.

"Alright, Toothless, here's the plan. I'll climb out that window, and sneak into this building and unlatch the door; then we fetch Skamell and fly away to our happily ever after, 'kay?" he whispered to the Night Fury, who simply cocked his head to the side. "Good enough," he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: THANKS SOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT GUYS! :)

xxx

The sky had faded into dark blue and orange hues. The sun was lowering from its position, and night was falling. Hiccup was still awake, waiting anxiously for the moon to rise. He was excited, but also nervous. What if it was a trap? What if the the tribe had heard of his plan and was planning on exacting their revenge? He had heard stories of this peculiar tribe, that had grudges against the Hairy Hooligan tribe, which was Hiccup's homeland. But what if Skamell had tricked him into thinking they were going to run away, when in reality he was just lying and telling the guards about his plans?

No! He wouldn't do that, Hiccup would tell himself. Even if he did, then surely Toothless and him could simply fly off, right? Shaking his head, he let out a bewildered sigh. All he needed to do was calm down, wait, then leave. He nodded his head silently, quietly murmuring to himself, "Yeah, it'll be okay." He just hoped he was right.

At last he noticed the moon closing the distance between itself and the center of the sky. It was time. Hiccup quietly climbed out of his bed, immediately feeling cold and uncomfortable. He prodded his large, scaly friend, trying to wake him up. "Psst! Toothless!" he would whisper to the dragon. Finally, the Night Fury slowly perked up, facing his rider. Nodding his head, he mumbled, "C'mon, bud, we gotta go." As if on cue, the ebony-black creature nodded, getting to his feet and stretching out.

Peering out through the door, he cautiously pulled it open, hearing little creaks coming from the door. Flinching from the noise, he just kept swinging the door open, before it was finally large enough for them to escape. The boy exited first, tip-toeing to the stairs. His dragon trailed behind him, tail hovering above the ground as to not make scuffling sounds.

He gradually inched his way down the stairs, hoping not to alarm anyone. Toothless carefully followed, trying not to trip over his own paws. Then they were in the lobby, making him sigh in relief. Great, they were almost there! But when he glanced around to search for Skamell, there were no signs of the boy. "Psst, Hiccup!" a voice whispered frantically, causing Hiccup and Toothless to jump, startled expressions on their faces.

There, hiding under the stairs, was Skamell, looking wary and alarmed. Hiccup sighed in relief, realizing the boy was alone. "Good, you're alone," he sighed.

Skamell quirked a black eyebrow. "Did you think I'd lie to you?" he queried carefully.

Realizing he must have sounded rude, he quickly shook his head. "No, no! Well, okay, maybe..."

"C'mon, we should get moving," he murmured, deciding not to acknowledge his words. Hiccup nodded, leading the way to the front door. Quietly opening the exit, he gave a silent gesture towards the opening, while Skamell got the idea. The tribe boy went out first, keeping a lookout for any signs of onlookers. "We're good," he informed, stepping out into the cold. He shivered, but continued walking towards the forest.

Hiccup abandoned the building as well, alongside Toothless. They scurried to the woods, shivering from the cold. He should have packed some clothes! As if reading his thoughts, Skamell held out a backpack. "Here, I brought two. This one has clothes and first aid kits. The other has food and water," he murmured. Gratefully nodding his head, Hiccup grabbed ahold of the backpack, glancing inside. There was a hide which could be used as a blanket, and two coats, alongside some shirts and trousers.

"Thanks, and good thinking," Hiccup thanked his new friend, grinning gratefully. Skamell just shrugged it off as if it were nothing, but was secretly booming with pride.

Hiccup slipped on the coat, then handed the other to Skamell, who just shook his head. He was already wearing a fur jacket. He gave a nod as a silent motion to understand, then stuffed the coat back into the backpack. "Alright, let's go," Hiccup ordered, bolting deeper into the forest. Skamell and Toothless followed after him, both excited to be exploring.

They continued sprinting until they made it to a clearing, with nothing but tall grasses for about fifty feet. "Perfect!" Hiccup exclaimed, grinning. Skamell gave him a confused look, before Toothless crouched. "Think you'll be able to carry us both?" he queried to the Nightfury. He just snorted, causing both the boys to chuckle. "Alright, you ready, Skamell?" He was answered with a nod.

They climbed aboard the dragon, Hiccup thrilled to be flying again. "Wait- I need something to control the tail fin," he abruptly murmured to them both.

"Why don't you just use a stick?" Upon Hiccup's look of disbelief, Skamell laughed. "I mean, like, connect the stick to the foot controller. It should work just like your foot before... you, erm..." he trailed off, nervously glancing around. "Look, there's one!" he exclaimed. Ripping off the branch from the tree, he returned to them both. Next, he placed the stick in the foot plate, then moved it side to side. "See?" The prosthetic tail fin moved, proving that Skamell's method worked.

"W-wow... awesome thinking!" Hiccup exclaimed, grinning madly. Skamell beamed with pride, nodding his head. "Alright, Toothless, try to take it slow. Skamell's never been able to fly on a dragon before." And they were off. With a kick of his legs, Toothless leaped into the air, wings flapping furiously to remain airborne.

Skamell gasped at the feeling, glancing around frantically. The view was amazing! "T-this... this is awesome!" he exclaimed. Hiccup just chuckled, continuing to steer his dragon. "Woo-hoo!" he called, making Hiccup laugh again.

"Hey, is that the island?" he queried, pointing towards an island littler than Berk. All you could see was jade-green trees and plants. It was lush and grown well, not too invading. Skamell stared at it for a moment, trying to determine if it was.

"I think so," he called back over the flap of Toothless' wings and the wind. Hiccup gave a nod, angling the dragon towards the piece of land. Toothless obeyed with ease, slowing the strokes of his wings. The ground became closer and closer. It was a bit difficult to land due to the trees and bushes, but Toothless and Hiccup landed gracefully, to Skamell's surprise.

"Wow, you guys are good at this," Skamell murmured, climbing off of Toothless. Hiccup chuckled, giving a nod of his head. Toothless crooned at the boy, as if saying 'thank you.' The two runaways began inspecting the area, taking in the littlest of details. "Well, so far so good!" Skamell exclaimed. Hiccup just shrugged his shoulders, still trying to get used to the fact he had ran away. Would anyone even miss him? His father had disowned him, and the villagers viewed him as a traitor. What was the point in returning?

They continued scoping the area, viewing trees and some of the berries on the bushes. "I wonder if these are poisonous?" Hiccup questioned to himself, glimpsing at the plum-colored berries. Skamell ambled over, ripping off a berry from a twig and examined it.

"I remember reading a book on some berries. Some were poisonous, but I don't think they looked like this," Skamell offered, dropping the berry from his grasp. Hiccup frowned in thought, pondering over how they could test it. Abruptly, he shot up, glancing over at his two friends.

"What if we tested them out on some animals? Like a rabbit or something?" Hiccup explained, standing up from his crouching position. He continued glancing down at the berry, twirling it in his fingers. "I mean, if it doesn't harm a couple of bunnies within a week, why not try it ourselves?" he queried. Skamell gave a nod, considering this.

"I like the idea, only... how are we gonna catch the rabbits?" he inquired. Automatically they glanced over at Toothless, who looked up from his paws. Cocking his head to the side, as if saying 'What' he crooned at the two. The boys chuckled, turning back to one another.

"Maybe Toothless can teach us?" Hiccup suggested. Skamell looked thoughtful, his gaze flickering across the landscape. At last, he gave nod.

"Alright, sure! I've always wanted to try hunting," he replied. They both grinned at one another as a silent agreement.

"Alright, it's settled! We'll try hunting in a couple days. Until then, it's late, and we need shelter," Hiccup ordered, glancing around. They began trekking on, searching through the darkness for signs of a shelter. At last, Skamell came up with an idea.

"What about a den?" he suggested. At Hiccup's confused look, he elaborated, "I mean, like, a den under a tree! We just need to find a large tree with lots of roots, then dig up dirt." Hiccup groaned.

"But that means work!" he exclaimed playfully, making his friend chuckle. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Fine! But we need to hurry." And they began searching once more.

They resumed trudging, frantically taking brief glimpses at their surroundings. "Hey, looks like Toothless found something," Skamell murmured. Hiccup glanced towards his dragon, finding the Night Fury gesturing towards a path. Racing over, the two boys followed after him, coming across a ginormous tree.

"Wow, great job, Toothless!" Hiccup praised, continuing to glance up at the tree in awe. Finally, he glanced down, checking to see if there were enough roots. There were, and they were thick and large enough to create a den. So they began digging.

The group dug and dug, and it seemed Toothless was doing the best so far. His large paws were able to scoop out the soil. Meanwhile, Skamell and Hiccup's hands weren't made for digging. At last, Hiccup suggested rocks, which made the process work much easier.

However, by the time there was enough room for one of the boys, the sun was rising. All three of them let out a yawn, closing their eyes momentarily before reopening them. "Man, this is hard work," Hiccup muttered, shaking his head groggily as he resumed digging. "Here, we can finish digging tomorrow... er, rather later. Skamell, you can sleep in here, while I can sleep in Toothless' wings, alright?"

Skamell frowned, not approving of the idea. "That's not fair for you two, though," he objected. However, Hiccup wouldn't back out.

"No, it's fine, Skamell! We'll both be plenty warm," he reasoned. Releasing a sigh from his slightly ajar lips, the ex-Viking nodded his head.

"Alright, alright! Good night... or, well, good morning," he murmured sleepily, exhausted from the night's events. Hiccup just grunted, crawling towards Toothless with an aching back. He snuggled into the dragon, while the Night Fury shielded the boy with his wings.

xxx

Toothless was the first to awake. By the time he did it was nearly nightfall once more, but he decided they needed to get to work. Unwrapping his wings from Hiccup, he revealed the scrawny boy, who was still cuddled to his dragon. "Five more minutes," he muttered, instantly regretting it when his dragon licked his freckled face. Eyes snapping open, he exclaimed, "Yuck! You know that doesn't wash out!" Toothless just purred, turning to their makeshift den.

"Wow, did we really sleep the whole day?" Skamell queried with exhaustion, drowsily wiping away crust from his icy-blue eyes. Hiccup just groaned, stretching out his muscles. He stood up with regret, shakng his head.

"Alright, back to work, I guess," he muttered, causing Skamell to groan.

"Dang it, I was hoping to get away with it," he whispered to himself, but Hiccup still heard it. The boy laughed, proceeding to grasp onto his same rock, beginning to dig into the soil. Skamell reluctantly did the same, while Toothless simply crawled into the den. Using all four paws, the dragon would begin kicking up dirt with ease.

"Awesome job, Toothless!" Hiccup exclaimed, grinning proudly at his dragon. They resumed digging into the dirt, until they could fit two boys into the den.

"Alright, guys. Awesome work! Now, I don't know 'bout you two, but I'm starving!" Hiccup groaned, his stomach rumbling on cue. Skamell chuckled, grabbing ahold of his backpack and whipping out some fish.

"We just have to cook it," he explained, setting the fish on the ground. "And I know exactly how!" He grinned at Toothless, before stepping back and letting Toothless slowly heat up the fish.

So far, so good.


End file.
